Beyond the Badge
by hopelesswanderer7
Summary: A writer is joining the BAU for several months as part of a promotion to revamp public support for the FBI. What friendships, or perhaps more, will be formed and tested through the groups' encounters and what events will unfold?
1. Chapter 1: Beyond the Badge

A writer is joining the BAU for several months as part of a promotion to revamp public support for the FBI. What friendships, or perhaps more, will be formed and tested through the groups' encounters and what events will unfold?

I do not own anything and all credit goes to the rightful owners and copyright holders.

I had the idea for this story simmering for a while so I figured I might as well go ahead and give it a shot. This is my first time writing so please, don't be too harsh. I will try to get updates out as often as I can. There will be a main character not from the Criminal Minds universe and I hope y'all will welcome her with open arms! I thought it was important to bring a non-CM member in to change up the dynamic and add something special to my story. That being said, I'm going to give you a profile of one of the main characters- Lindsay McNally, the writer who is assigned to write a story about the BAU. She's 5'6" and extremely slim and toned. She has thick, curly strawberry blonde hair that goes just below her shoulder blades. Her eyes are tealish-grey and her nose and cheeks are peppered with freckles. During the winter months, she's relatively pale but when she sees the sun, she has a nicer tan skin tone. I just wanted to give you somewhat of an idea of how I imagined her! It takes place after JJ's kidnapping in season 9, but instead of returning to Interpol Emily Prentiss stays and rejoins the BAU. Also, Strauss didn't die and she's still the Section Chief in the story. The team includes Hotchner, Reed, Morgan, JJ, Rossi, Prentiss, and Garcia. Some things will be different but will be discussed and explained in the story! I hope you guys enjoy and if not, then at the very least, I get to cross writing a story off my bucket list! Thank you!

Oh, and anything you read in the story that's in italics are thoughts!


	2. Chapter 2: A Place at the Table

Chapter 1- A Place at the Table

It was 5:30 in the morning, the sun had barely begun to show itself and I was staring at myself in the mirror. I quadruple checked my outfit- a sleek, form-fitting black suit with a pale blue button up shirt beneath, and my hair- a perfectly done ponytail, to make sure I was ready for the day. _What day do you ask?_ Well today is my first day with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. I checked my messenger bag to make sure I had all of my writing necessities one final time as I took a deep breathe, grabbed my to go mug and my "go-bag", and headed out the front door.

I parked my two-door blue Jeep Wrangler in the special spot they had reserved and turned the car off. The entire drive over I had repeated phrases in my head like _"you've got this", "they personally requested you for this job", "stop freaking out", "you've got this",_ over and over again until I found myself having a slight panic attack in the elevator ride up to what would be my office for at least the next 90 days. I checked my watch, _6:25AM, perfect timing_. I had wanted to get there early so I could meet with the director, a man named Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner and get my bearings before the team arrived for their briefings at 7:15. I walked through the double glass-doors and was pleasantly surprised to see that the office was still pretty empty, except for two people who were speaking to one another on the overlooking platform. I recognized them both immediately as SES Section Chief Erin Strauss and SSA Aaron Hotchner. I realized I might as well get this over with and straightened out my jacket once more and tried to walk with as much confidence towards the two intimidating superiors. When I approached them, they both reached out and firmly shook my hand.

"Welcome Ms. McNally. I'm Section Chief Erin Strauss." I smiled politely and did my best to return with a strong handshake and try to hide my nerves deep, deep down.

"I'm Unit Chief SSA Aaron Hotchner. I will be your direct supervisor while you're here with us. Besides your first case, which I request you stay here with our Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia in order for you to get a grasp on what you will be encountering in the field, I'm not entirely sure how you want to organize this. But, the only agent who is aware of your purpose and stay with us is Garcia, the rest will be filled in during the this morning's briefing if you want to introduce yourself then. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Now please excuse me, I have to get ready for the briefing." He quickly shook my hand again and briskly walked into a room at the end of the hall. I turned back to Agent Strauss who continued, "I was the one who personally requested for you to be assigned the piece about the BAU."

"Thank you ma'am for the opportunity. But I have to ask, why me?"

"I've read your work and felt as though it had the perfect balance between being honest enough while still keeping a level of discretion and professionalism as to not turn your behind the scenes time into an exposé on the bureau. I also noticed that you were familiar in the criminal justice environment as a result of your writings and articles for the past three years. Meaning that I won't have to worry about sending you into very hectic, very dangerous crime scene areas. I also called your previous supervisors in the field and they all gave exceptional recommendations. So, here you are to hopefully shine a light on this team and what they're doing to make this country a safer place."

"Thank you ma'am. I will do my very best."

"As Aaron mentioned before, have you thought about how you wanted to organize your time here?"

"I was planning to work directly beside one agent each case as well as every break between cases in order to get a snapshot of their lives outside of the BAU life. Seeing as this is the first time for both of us in this situation considering I'm use to one-on-ones, I think it would be best to just go for it and make adjustments as needed. Were you wanting weekly updates or what kind of progress reports per se were you planning for?" I pulled out my planner in order to write down specific dates thinking that she was going to be a stickler for very frequent updates and reports.

"Let's go with two updates this month but to be honest, you will learn quickly things move around here and that weekly reports will be a nuisance for the both of us. As long as I can see the final story before it goes to a publisher or print, I don't necessarily need to hash out all the logistics. Also, keep in mind the confidentiality of the environment you're working in and what you can include and can't include, especially for classified information. You can either ask myself, or Hotchner for smaller details. Please make yourself at home and if you need anything, don't be afraid to get in touch. Be safe, good luck, and welcome to the BAU Ms. McNally." She shook my hand again and handed me a folder with her personal card attached to the front.

 _Phew. I'm glad that's over with. My boss wasn't kidding when she said that she was a force to be reckoned with. But, now that I've faced the head honcho, now to face the other six members of the team, all at once. Whelp, might as well rip it off like a band aid considering how much time I'll be spending with them the next several months. I hope they like me and I hope I can deliver on my promise about this story._

As I slide the folder into my bag, I turned to begin my search for Penelope. It didn't take me long before arriving at the door to a small, dimly lit room, covered from floor to ceiling with monitors and hard drives and every tech item in between. There also happened to be tons of little toys and trinkets in the nooks and crannies that gave the room a great deal of bubbly character. As I continued my scan of the room, my attention was brought to a woman wearing a very bright pink sweater and dress combo who was typing frantically away on a keyboard. I knocked twice on the door and she quickly turned around.

"Hello there, are you Penelope Garcia?" I asked as I stepped, slightly overwhelmed by everything going on in the room.

"Why yes! I'm so sorry I didn't hear you come in! You must be Lindsay McNally! I'm so excited to have you with us! Well not that you'll be spending a lot of time with me after this case but you know what I mean." She quickly trotted over in her neon green heels and closed the space between us and gave me a hug. "Oh wow, aren't you the cutest little thing! I'm sorry I blab and invade people's personal space when I get overly excited."

I let out a small laugh, "It's no worries. I'm happy to be here as well. But I'm sure that I'll be spending time with you after this case. After all, it's part of my job to spend time with everyone, not that I'm only spending time with you for that, well I mean." _Crap, I had scrambled my words again,_ a nervous habit that seems to always come out in the worst of times _. I don't want her to think they hired an idiot for such an important task_. So, I took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, first day jitters I guess. Forgive me."

"Oh, no, you don't have to apologize at all! I know how intimidating this place can be, which is why I try to make this place as warm, cozy, and happy as can be! If you want, feel free to grab anything around the room and give it a go! That's what I do. Or that iPad over on the shelf is solely devoted to cute puppy and kitten videos in case of emergency. Now, we have about 15 minutes before the team arrives for the briefing where Hotch said you'll meet the rest of the team?" she started saying as she turned to shut her monitors off.

"Yep, that's the plan. Should I set my stuff up in here with you or is there another desk you have I should work from?"

"You can stay in here with me if you want! I'll have my chocolate thunder whip you up a desk and chair after the briefing. Oh sorry, you don't know who my chocolate thunder is, haha. Well you will soon! Come on follow me!" Garcia explained as she grabbed a set of folders from the desk. I took a pen and a mini notebook out of my bag and placed it on the ground.

"All set?" She eagerly asked. I nodded and replied, "As ready as I'll ever be." Garcia giggled and reassured me that if I could handle Strauss then I could take on the team in my sleep. She then linked arms in mine and we began making our way back towards where I had my talk with Agent Strauss and Hotchner this morning. We entered a room, which was set up like a small conference room with a large circular table in the middle with seven chairs around it. There were three screens on the one wall, a small coffee station along the other, and another chair in the corner. Agent Hotchner was organizing folders and tablets around the table. When he noticed that I had found Garcia and we had arrived, he finished and looked up. "I see you found Garcia. The rest of the team will be here in five minutes. Once they're all here, you can introduce yourself and then we'll get started with the case. Are you comfortable being in here for the briefing?" he asked.

"If you mean have I been around victims and crime scene photos before, then yes sir. Most of the stories or articles I've covered the past three years have been in the criminal department so don't worry about me. Is there anything in particular you want me to say in the introduction, or how much you want me to share about what I'm doing with the team, sir?"

"You can tell them what you'll be doing and I assume you and Strauss worked out something in terms of who you'll be paired with in the field?"

"Yes, sir. We established that after this case, I would be in the field with y'all and that each case and time between cases, I would be paired with a specific team member. I can ask the team later if there's any week or time that would be inconvenient to be paired with them such as traveling or whatever. But, I'm pretty much the team's shadow for the next 90 days so I'm not too worried about not getting enough information or material for the story. And just as a heads up sir, you will also be one of the agents I have to spend time with outside of the office."

"Of course and that sounds like a good plan. If you could McNally, set up some sort of schedule for who you'll be paired with when we get back from the case and I can double check it and keep it for reference as well as send it to the team. I will also grab your temporary ID and vest for when you're in the field with us and bring it to you after the meeting."

"Thank you sir."

I turned and stood next to Penelope, "How do I look?" I asked nervously.

"You look fantastic! You could have totally fooled me that you weren't actually FBI!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks, I told you I try my best to be a fly on the wall. Is their anyone on the team I should be extra-nervous to meet or impress?"

"Of course not! You already met Strauss and she's the scariest so the rest should be easy as pie to get acquainted with. Speaking of, here they all come now. Good morning my sunshines!" she said as she greeted each of them with a hug at the door.

I took a deep breath, straightened my jacket, and turned to face everyone as they began taking their seats. I nervously glanced around at all of them, unsure if anyone had noticed my presence yet.

"Hotch, you didn't tell us we were getting a new agent. Hi, I'm Agent Morgan. Welcome to the BAU." He reached over and shook my hand. _This must be Garcia's chocolate thunder._

Before I could say anything, Hotch turned and said, "That's because you're not. Everyone, meet Lindsay McNally. Lindsay, this is Agent David Rossi, Dr. Spencer Reed, Agent Derek Morgan, Agent Emily Prentiss, and Agent Jennifer Jareau" and as he said their name, they politely smiled and waved. When he was finished introducing the team, he turned and made a gesture that suggested that the floor was mine.

I cleared my throat and stepped a bit closer to the group, "Hello everyone, I'm Lindsay McNally and I'll be alongside of y'all for the next few months. I was assigned to write a piece about your team in order to boost public support for the bureau. I'm looking forward to working with you and thanks for letting me be here."

The team turned towards Hotch as he began, "After this case, McNally will be joining us in the field and will be paired with one of you at a time for each case and time between cases as well. Please make her feel comfortable and answer any questions she has."

"Alright, a little one on one time with you McNally sounds perfectly fine to me." Morgan said smoothly as he winked but then turned his attention to the folder in front of him. "What do we got this time?"

I stepped back next to Garcia who was now holding what looked like a TV remote. She clicked a button and pictures from their upcoming case began popping up on the monitors as she began speaking. I took my seat in the corner chair and surveyed the rest of the team who all seemed un-phased by my presence. _Good, I'm glad they aren't trying to profile me or analyze me. Hopefully they already forgot I was here._

"Alright guys, this one is a brutal one, like brutal brutal. I'm talking like I'm going to be watching cute kitten videos on replay while we're working on it. Right, anyway, you guys are headed to Phoenix, Arizona."

"We are each on our own journey. Each of us is on our very own adventure; encountering all kinds of challenges, and the choices we make on that adventure will shape us as we go; these choices will stretch us, test us, and push us to our limit; and our adventure will make us stronger then we ever know we could be." – Aamnah Akram


	3. Chapter 3: The Strangers

Chapter 2- The Strangers

"Alright guys, this one is a brutal one, like brutal brutal. I'm talking like I'm going to be watching cute kitten videos on replay while we're working on it. Right, anyway, you guys are headed to Phoenix, Arizona."

Garcia had her back to the screen and was talking towards the team at the table. Everyone was scribbling notes and flipping through the information in front of them as she continued, "There have been two homicides in Phoenix, Arizona. "

Agent Morgan quickly interrupted, "Baby girl, if there's only been two murders in the same city, how come we're being called in? That doesn't sound like something serious enough to have us involved."

"Well, my sweet, if you had turned another page over and given me another 30 seconds, you would have seen this." She stated and she made somewhat of an uneasy face as she clicked once more. "The reason we're being called in is that the two bodies that were found in Phoenix were missing their heads as well as their arms. In addition to that, other local offices in adjoining counties and neighboring states have just made the connection in their jurisdictions with another four bodies and four sets of hands. Which brings our total body count to six and our hand count, ew, to eight." As she spoke, the pictures of the bodies and hands were displayed across the screens and everyone's tablets.

"Why were they just able to make the connection? That's six bodies!" Agent Morgan protested.

"For one, the bodies were spread across local law enforcement lines. All of the bodies were found in and around Phoenix but in different jurisdictions- two in Maricopa County where Phoenix is, one in Mohave, one in Pima, and two on the border of the Navajo/Apache border. However, the hands were found in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Two, three of the bodies were found on Native American reservations, who are very anti-police and anti-federal government, and two were found close to reservations. Unfortunately, they just weren't able to put the pieces together until an officer did a search for another crime and then they figured it out." Garcia responded bleakly. "But as soon as they figured out the scale of what they were dealing with, they called us within 12 hours."

The old Italian looking man, Agent Rossi, spoke up, "Separating body parts and dumping them in different jurisdictions speaks to several things. For one, the unsub has to be familiar with the area and local law enforcement policies; we can't rule out he might be a member or was a member of the military or police force. Also, it's a forensic countermeasure so we have to keep the option open that we may find more bodies or hands. Third, the unsub has to have access to a means of travel in order to move these bodies around the states. Meaning he probably has a job that makes it easy for him to be away for long periods of time or a migrant job."

Dr. Reid confidently stated, "The Southwest region of the United States is home to some of the largest groups of migrant workers coming from primarily Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and others. The state of Arizona alone has a population of approximately 6.6 million and roughly 30% of that consists of Hispanic and Central American immigrants. That's about 1,980,000 million immigrant workers just from Mexico and Central America."

"Okkaayyy. That's still way to many people to look at and only takes in to consideration migrant workers in Arizona from Mexico and Central America. I wouldn't say there's anything so far that indicates our unsub is even an immigrant or a migrant worker yet." Agent Morgan interjected.

"Correct. But it can be something we use later on once we get more." Agent Hotchner pointed out.

"I'm pretty familiar with Native American tribes and cultures but I'll begin to look more into that angle considering the placement of the bodies was either in or near reservations. That can't be a coincidence. I'll also look into routes that are frequented by migrant workers, just to check if the match any of our dumpsites." Dr. Reid interjected.

"Garcia, do the pairs of hands belong to the same victim?" the tall, raven haired Agent Prentiss asked.

"Glad you asked my beautiful, but also not glad you asked cause ew. But, unfortunately, they do not. Between the four sets of hands, or eight hands in total, there are at least six different victims from what the medical examiner's office reported from observation at the scenes. As for the other two hands, they weren't able to initially determine if they matched other hands or were different victims."

The petite, younger blonde by the name of Agent Jareau followed with, "So, we have six bodies all across Arizona, 8 individual hands that are grouped in 4 pairs all across four states? That means there's at least two more bodies we haven't found."

"Alright everyone, we're still waiting on the medical examiners report for more information on the autopsies. Especially how long ago they were killed and how long the bodies and hands were at the dumpsites. But one thing is for sure; we've got a serial killer in Phoenix that isn't going to stop anytime soon. Wheels up in twenty." Agent Hotchner said and immediately the team gathered their materials and headed out the door. Agent Hotchner turned to Garcia and I before leaving, "Garcia, contact the local offices and find out what the situation on the ground will be for our arrival-who's taking the lead, what jurisdictions will be lending a helping hand, etc. After that, begin to compile a list of all potential suspects by looking into middle-aged men in and around Arizona who have criminal backgrounds and focus on crimes that involve the head or hands and then cross reference that list to anyone with a connection to Native Americans or reservations. We'll call you once we're air bound."

"Yes sir I'm on it." Garcia responded as she diligently finished writing her notes, collected her belongings, and turned to head towards her office to begin working the case.

I began to follow Garcia when Agent Hotchner stopped me before I got far, "McNally, follow me to for your badge and vest. You won't need the vest for this case but you may need the badge." We began walking towards his office when he continued, "You can help Garcia in any way she needs and I'm sure she'll keep you connected with the team when we're in the field." He handed me the badge and vest and grabbed his go bag and files off he desk, "Please ask Garcia if you have any questions and I know Chief Strauss was planning to stop by during the first case while you were here and she can help you as well. Thank you." He quickly finished and was out the door.

I made my way towards Garcia's office where Agent Morgan had just brought in a desk and chair for me. "Baby girl said you needed a space to work in here and this is best I could do on short notice." He said as he motioned to the small desk and chair that were now in Garcia's office.

"No, that's good enough! I usually don't even get offered a clipboard so I appreciate it. Thank you." I assured him. "Oh, and before I forget and sorry for not doing this early," I took a step forward him and extended my hand out, "I'm Lindsay McNally and I'm looking forward to working with you and getting to know you." I finished as he slowly reached out and returned the handshake.

"You do know I already know your name right McNally?" he hesitantly asked.

"Haha, yes Agent Morgan. I do, I just believe in a handshake and personal greeting. I was slightly overwhelmed by being introduced to everyone at once this morning so forgive me."

He turned and grabbed his go bag and laughed as he said, "I like you already McNally." He waved goodbye on his way out the door.

"Be safe my chocolate thunder!" Garcia exclaimed over her shoulder as she was already frantically working away on the computer.

I moved my go bag underneath the chair and placed my messenger bag on the desk. As I pulled out my water bottle, leather bound notebook, pens, the mini notebook I had in my pocket during the briefing, and my iPod, I began to think about the last ten minutes and the people I would hopefully come to be very close with…

 _If I were a serial killer, I would definitely be afraid of this team coming after me. These guys are serious and don't mess around. I mean between Hotch and Rossi they've been working longer than I've even been alive! But this case is definitely much more intense than what I'm use to so I'm somewhat glad I'm staying here for this case. Although I have confidence in this team that they would keep me safe; they just have that aura of protection and security that surrounds them. I don't think I'm going to be able to observe and write like I have for all my other pieces. Instead, I'm going to have to get more involved and write later on. Which isn't a bad thing because I think I'm going to enjoy my time with the team. This is definitely going to be the most challenging experience of my life._

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a ringing. Garcia answered and on the monitor, a live video of the team on the plane appeared. "Hello my lovelies. The Phoenix PD is taking lead and set up a command post at the address I just sent to your tablets. They know you're on your way to assist. Also, unfortunately, the criteria you supplied me with is still way too broad. Unless you've got anything else for me to narrow in on then I'm afraid I'm in a sticky situation until you give me more."

Agent Hotchner turned towards the camera, "Garcia, has the m.e.'s office sent any updated information yet?"

Garcia was typing away, "No sir. They just emailed me saying all of the bodies and body parts arrived at the central location. Apparently, they did initial reports at all of the scenes across the counties and states and then transported the victims to a coroner's office in Phoenix for you guys to take a look. They said they'll have an update within the next few hours."

SSA Hotchner turned towards the team on the plane, "Alright. That means that things are going to be hectic if they are just getting everything organized into a central location. Have we determined anything else since the briefing?"

Dr. Reid quickly responded, "From these pictures, it looks like almost all of the cuts and lacerations were done in a clean fashion; there's no jagged edges or signs of hesitancy but we'll definitely need to take a closer examination. Also, it all seems very organized. Between the specificity of the setting of the hands to their locations and the level of precision on the cuts, I think he would be rather intelligent."

Agent Prentiss spoke up, "Also, all of the victims are from different backgrounds. The genders and races are all across the board. We need to identify the victims and see if theirs any connections or similarities across them. Because until we can determine what our unsub's victimology is, we can't figure out why he's doing this or where he's targeting his victims."

Agent Jareau continued with, "It also appears that all of the pairs of hands are displayed differently; look. The first set and the fourth set are a man's and a woman's. Where as, the second is two women and the third is two male hands. Maybe the victims paired together were killed at the same time?"

"Also note the difference in how the hands are positioned; the two male hands appear to be shaking hands, the two female hands seem to be platonically holding hands, and the man and woman pairs are interlocking hands, seemingly in a romantic fashion." Agent Morgan added to Agent Jareau's comment.

"That would make sense if you think about it. Men are usually seen as the one's who would be shaking hands, women would represent friendship, and a couple holding hands. What if the position of the hands symbolizes either a relationship between the victims or if it has to do with the unsub?" Agent Jareau concluded.

"JJ's got a point," Agent Morgan concurred. "We need to figure out if the victims that were paired together had a connection. This guy seems too organized to just put random hands together."

 _They really work well together. There doesn't seem to be one person leading the conversation or anyone holding back from the team. If I didn't know what they were talking about, I would have thought they were just a group of old friends sitting around having a regular conversation._

~ **Ding** ~

"Oh, sir. The medical examiner's office just sent over the victims' fingerprints. I'll begin scanning them through the database now and get back to you when I get any hits. I'll also try to go off the pictures and see if I can use any identifying marks on the victims to help as well." Garcia stated as she was furiously typing away.

 _Seriously, how does someone type that fast._

Agent Rossi turned this time and began to say, "From the looks of the pictures, the unsub removed any identifying marks such as tattoos or scars. On the second body and the female hand in the third pair, they both appear to have what looks like burn patches or laser removal areas. I don't know how much you'll get Garcia but once you get any hits on who our vics are, check their history and see if they could of had the marks before our unsub."

Garcia returned, "Ok sir. I'll hit you back ASAP!" She turned and clicked off the video chat.

I sat and watched her work as I glanced over the extra file Garcia made of the case for me. _I thought I was use to this level of violence, but this is definitely a new. I'm going to definitely dig into the team about how they don't let this get to them or any tips they have for a rookie._

Garcia andI turned when there was a knock on the door.

Garcia quickly stood as if she had just been caught doing something she shouldn't have. "Chief Strauss. To what do I owe the pleasure of having you here in my humble techno-abode?"

I made a mental note to ask Garcia later about why she was so intimidated by Chief Strauss. "Hello ma'am." I stood and nodded.

"Hello. I was just checking in to see how things were coming along with you and the case."

Garcia reached to the file I had just been looking at and handed it over to the older agent. "The local officials have just set up the command center so there hasn't been much to go on yet. We just got the fingerprints from the victims and are being run through the database as we speak. The team will be landing in about two hours." She turned to check the status of the prints in the search, "still nothing from the prints yet ma'am."

"Alright. I just got off the phone with an old friend who is a detective in Phoenix. She wants us to try to keep this quiet for as long as possible to prevent public panic. We all know what happens when a city finds out there's a serial killer in their backyard." Chief Strauss said as she closed the folder and cross her hands in front of her. She turned towards me and asked if we could speak in the hall. I agreed and followed the Chief into the hall.

"How are you settling in McNally?" she asked.

"I'm doing well thanks. The team seems incredible and Penelope got me all set up. I'll admit I'm getting use to the lingo and the pace of things but I'm sure I'll catch on quick. Although, I feel a little useless just watching as the team is trying to catch this guy."

Chief Strauss nodded as I was speaking and responded, "That's understandable. Since we last spoke, I've also reviewed your files and previous experiences and I found a rather interesting point- you applied for the FBI right after you graduated?" She directly asked.

 _Dang, I knew that would come up and I'm not ashamed of it, just life took me in a different direction._

I responded, "Yes, ma'am. Right after graduating undergrad I applied. But, there was a family emergency and I realized the Bureau wasn't the best option at the time."

"I apologize, I didn't mean to press it or question it. Actually, I came down to inform you that the Bureau has had their eye on you for a while and you would excel as an agent. Therefor, I'm granting you probationary privilege to assist on cases while you're here. Please keep in mind you will need to ask Agent Morgan for physical testing procedures and Agent Hotchner about other testing and requirements you will need to catch up on. I'm not saying this is the Bureau turning you into an agent, not at all. Instead, it's to allow you more access and hopefully allow you to get even closer with the team, and in turn the best story possible."

"Thank you ma'am. Truly, I appreciate the opportunity, both for the story and the chance to help out." I said with as much endeavor as possible to show how truly honored I was for everything that was happening.

"I have to be going but I'll check back in as the case develops more. McNally," she shook my hand, returned the folder to me, and turned back just close enough to the room to tell Garcia goodbye. I walked back into Garcia's office, whom let out a let out a huge breathe of relief when she realized it was me and let her shoulders fall. I chuckled, "You alright Garcia?"

"What, oh yes! I'm fine. Chief Strauss just scares me. Always has, always will. Except she seems to be very keen of you so maybe I'll just have you around when she's around me!"

"Haha, I'll do what I can. Speaking of, is there anything I can do to help?"

"It makes me sad to say but there isn't much for us to do while we wait for the search of the fingerprints to come back or for the team to call with more criteria on the unsub. So, while we wait, is there any questions you have for me or how does this work?" She turned her chair and ran her hands along her dress to smooth out the wrinkles.

"Well, people usually prefer not to be interrogated at your work so I usually do a more formal sit down on one of the days I'm assigned to you between cases. But, besides that, there isn't really an outline or formula for how this goes. It's more like I watch you as you work and depending on how comfortable things go, I slowly get more involved. It really depends on the environment and the people I'm working with and such. Think of it more as two people getting to know each other and that in the end, I write an article about that journey and you." I explained.

"So it's kind of like you're profiling us?" She concluded.

"I guess you could say that. I don't think I'll be labeling any of you as sociopaths or serial killers, haha. But I will say that over the years, I think I've gotten fairly good at reading and connecting with people. I try to make the people I'm writing about feel comfortable opening up with me and make it not one-sided. Like, it's not just me trying to learn all your quirks and secrets as fast as I can and just write out what you share. Instead, I try to build a relationship and then reflect on what I learn about the person and write about that story. Sometimes people keep their guard up, which I can already tell is going to be the case with a majority of your team, which isn't a bad thing, but it will take me getting vulnerable with them as well. Or sometimes people are an open book and just share and share and share but turns out that a lot of it is just facts or statements and not of any huge significance to who they are or why they are who they are. My stories are more about what makes someone the way they are and sharing a side or part of them that they keep from everyone else."

"I don't know much about writing about someone or getting to know someone for the purpose of writing about them. But, I think you know exactly what you're doing." She said earnestly with a smile.

"Thank you, Penelope."

"So, not to be nosy and you totally don't have to share, but what do you have so far?" She eagerly asked. She was sitting on the edge of her seat and began twirling her thumbs. She looked at me like I had already figured out her team and close friends dirty little secrets and that she couldn't wait to get them out of me.

"Honestly, I don't have much of anything. I just met everyone this morning."

"Oh right, of course, duh. I got over-excited again. Well, what did you think coming in!"

"Meaning, what did I do to prepare or what were my assumptions about everyone?"

She eagerly nodded, "uh-huh."

"Sorry to disappoint you Penelope but I didn't do much of anything haha. I try to go in without any biases or assumptions to prevent having an opinion or view on the person. When I was assigned to this piece, the only thing I did was look up a picture of Chief Strauss and Agent Hotchner so I knew who I had to meet and who I was going to be working for. Other than that, I had a few meetings with my boss about what the bureau was looking for and such and now here we are. I was assigned about a month ago so I wasn't sitting around for a long time wondering about what I was getting myself into."

"Wait, so you didn't even know what we looked like or our names?"

"Nope, just met everyone this morning. Speaking of, I forgot to do this this morning since everything happened so fast," I stood up and walked over and extended my hand to Garcia, "Hi, my name is Lindsay McNally. It's a pleasure to meet you." She laughed as she shook my hand back, "Penelope Garcia. Certified fashionista and tech aficionado. The pleasure is all mine!" I turned on my heel and returned to the chair, "Sorry if that was awkward. That was the one thing that's been engrained by my professors, to always meet someone and greet them with a firm handshake. Something about formalities and how it's being replaced by an irrelevant and insincere gesture called the wave. So I try to do that but with it being ten people instead of like the usual two, I was a bit overwhelmed and I hope the team doesn't think I'm weird when I reintroduce myself with a handshake later haha."

"Oh no, not at all! I totally understand it. Also, I think besides Reid who doesn't do handshakes or really any form of physical contact for the most part, the rest of the team will probably give you bonus points."

"I'm glad to hear it. I hope you'll help me out a bit and quiz me on everyone's names later."

"Of course, of course. I can also give you a little info on everyone because I now I feel the need to right a wrong and turn back time because I feel guilty." Garcia said as she tried to look anywhere but me.

"Why's that Penelope?" I was genuinely curious what this woman would feel guilty about. She seemed like the type who wouldn't even hurt a fly.

 _I really enjoy how easy it was to talk to Penelope. I hope that it'll be this easy to talk to the rest of the team. If not, at least I know I can talk to her._

"I may have hacked into a few systems and taken a peek into your life." She shyly said while still not making eye contact.

"Haha, that's alright Penelope. I'm pretty much an open book and I'm use to the people I write about doing their research on me before I show up. I just hope you read all the good stuff and didn't dig up too much dirt." I winked as I leaned back in my seat to get comfortable. "So, let's hear it what have you got on me?"

"Tons! I mean, I don't have tons on you but I found a good amount. But now that I'm actually sitting here face to face and talking to you. I'd rather just ask instead of just assuming that everything I read is true, I mean you know the Internet never lies haha. Is it okay if I ask you some questions? I have loads of questions usually, but I don't want to overwhelm you. But, I want to ask as many as I can and I want to pick your brain while I have you trapped in here all by myself." She blurted out.

"Haha, you can pick my brain anytime Penelope. I don't mind. Go ahead."

"Ok. Tell me about your family."

"I have a younger sister, Hayley, who's eight years younger than me and my best friend. My dad, Ben, was a mechanic and all around fixer upper and my mom, Olivia, was a businesswoman turned PR rep for major corporations. I think she's the reason I got into writing and researching people. Growing up, I saw her try to fix so many corporate mess ups and problems and she always said, if they had the public's support in the first place, it wouldn't have been as bad. So, as much as she dealt with stuff after the fact, she was a huge advocate for being proactive and preventing problems and making it more of a public relationship- Just as if you were in a real relationship, you can't show up as soon as you make a mistake. Instead, you have to show up 100% committed from the start." I said in the best impression as my mom as I could which earned a laugh from Garcia and she said, "Well your mom sounds like a smart woman, both your parents did a good job with you!"

"Yea, I turned out pretty well I'd like to think. Oh, and I can forget! I also have an Australian Shepherd mix puppy, named Koda. He's like my baby haha" as I showed her pictures of my sister, family, and puppy on my phone.

"Okay, whatever genes are in your family is seriously ridiculously unfair because your whole family is seriously good looking. Like memo to McNally family, it's not nice to hog all the good-looking genes from the rest of America. And oh my gosh, stop you're puppy is literally the most adorable puppy I've seen, and trust me, I've seen a lot of adorable puppies."

I chuckled again. "Thanks Penelope."

"Ok tell me about your life, how did you get here, at the BAU I mean."

"I went to James Madison University where I got my degree in Criminology. I grew up wanting to be an agent actually so maybe this is fate I wound up here. Anyways, then I moved back home to Delaware to spend more time with my family and earned my masters in Journalism and now here I am."

"Wait shut up, you wanted to be an agent?! That's crazy! No wonder you look and fit the part so well! Seriously, I would hire you on the spot if I had that type of authority but you know I'll put a good word in if you want."

"Let's see how this somewhat trial run goes before I sign up for anything but I'll keep it in mind."

"Hold on," she said as she turned to a monitor and typed something in and gasped, "I don't curse but how the hell are you only 28?! Seriously you look like your 23 and the fact that you're already at like the top of your game?!"

"I'm actually only 27, but my birthday is in a few months, which I'm assuming you already know?"

"Yep, Valentine's Day. Which I'm totally jealous of because birthday plus Valentines Day has to be the best thing ever!"

"We can talk about that another time haha. But I guess I just had the right connections at the right time and worked really hard to get where I am. I know there's always another story out there and I'm just kind of along for the ride and always ready and willing to get out there."

Garcia was getting ready to say something when she was interrupted by a ding from her computer. "Oh, we got a hit!" She quickly patched the team in.

"Sir, we got a hit on at least four of the victims so far. Both pairs of hands of the man and woman were identified. From the first set we have Sofia Lopez and Worthington Mills. Sofia Lopez was 27, originally from Puerto Rico but her family immigrated to Southern California when she was 3. She doesn't have any criminal record and she was a waitress at a local diner in Salt Lake City. Whoa, okay, Worthington Mills, on the other hand was 29, born and raised in Las Vegas and is heir to the family business-

"Mills Private Security. They are at the forefront for securities in casinos with 87.64% of Las Vegas casinos using their security systems and format. " Dr. Reid confidently interrupted.

"And $10 for boy genius. Spencer is correct," Garcia continued, " Worthington is the son of CEO and founder Harrison Mills. The Mills Private Security company was started in the 80s and is known for their super technology to help prevent theft and cheating in the casinos. And wouldn't you know it, just like many other kids with way too much money for their own good, Worthington is no stranger to authorities and has a long rap sheet with numerous drug and prostitution charges. I'm sending you both their info now… And the other pair of hands belongs to Cynthia Rose and Josh Kareem. Cynthia was a 72-year-old grandmother of 8, with 3 great grandchildren and lived in a retirement community in Santé Fe, New Mexico and also has no criminal record. Josh Kareem was a 53 year old refugee from Somalia where his village was being torn apart by Boko Haram's army. Since coming here, there isn't much on him but I will keep digging."

Agent Morgan spoke up, "Baby girl, any connection between the victims?"

"So far it seems as though they were all strangers, but that's only super surface. I shall dig deeper!" She used the end of her feather tipped pen to hang up the connection. She began typing away when she stopped and turned at me for a second. "Ready to help?"

I anxiously answered, "As ready and willing as I am to help, I'm afraid the tech stuff is way over my head."

"Good thing I set up a user-friendly version for you earlier. This is basically like a Google search that's been put on FBI steroids. I'm going to give you the first pair- Sophia and Worthington and just start trying to find anything that connects them at all. Even if it's they bought coffee at the same place within an hour of each other. The tiniest fraction of a link could be critical." She began explaining as she turned a monitor on that was two over from the one she was using. She summoned me over as she finished logging on and starting the systems.

"Yea sure. I can do that." We began typing and searching and resetting and testing connections over and over again. I hadn't realized how long we had been working until Garcia's phone began to ring again. When she answered, Agent Jareau was on the other side with Dr. Reid in what looked like a police precinct.

Agent Jareau put the tablet down as she began to talk, "Hey there guys. Anything new for us?"

Garcia dimly responded, "I'm working as hard and as fast as I can and I even have Lindsay working on it but so far we've come up with nothing. No connection between vics yet. Where did the others head off to?"

"Morgan and Prentiss went to the medical examiners office to get an update and look at the victims. Rossi and Hotch went to the crime scenes in Phoenix where the body and hands were found. Wait, speaking of, Rossi, he's calling now, I'll patch him in. Hey, Rossi. I've got Garcia on the line as well but no connections between the vics yet." Agent Jareau said.

"Ok, well I just sent my coordinates to your phone. Reid, begin making a geographical profile. I'm hoping that the dumpsites will be a huge clue into finding this guy. I mean, no one just leaves a pair of connected hands perfectly displayed on a rock by the edge of road." Agent Rossi stated.

As Agent Rossi was talking, Dr. Reid began drawing circles and pushing pins into a map attached to a board. He chimed in, "Wait Rossi, I think he's placing the hands on a path that originates or meets at the four corners."

"Good job Spence. I'll call Morgan and Prentiss and fill them in." Agent Jareau stated as she disconnected from Rossi and dialed in Prentiss. "Hey Em, ok so Spence may have gotten us a lead. All of the dump sites for the pair of hands have been in line with the four corners."

"Do we know how the hand symbol connects to the four corners yet?" Agent Prentiss asked the group on the line.

"Not yet but I'll start researching." Dr. Reid responded as he began making more marks on the map and asking a local officer to gather books about the four corners.

"What have you got from the M.E.?" Agent Jareau asked.

"It's definitely not the unsubs first time cutting. There doesn't seem to be any hesitation marks or jugged edges on any of the bodies or hands. Medical examiner said his best guess of tool was an extremely sharp machete or saw as result of slight patterns of a back and forth motion on the tissue and muscle fibers. All six of the bodies here are almost identical in cuts, at the neck and just below the elbow. M.E. says the bodies range from being killed 10 months ago to as recently as two weeks. But warned that because of exposure to the elements, he couldn't be more exact. The examiner also shared that C.O.D for all the victims was hypovolemic shock. Meaning that all of them were alive when he started cutting and bleed out." Agent Prentiss calmly added.

Agent Morgan also added, "There are two other markings on all the bodies- bruising and discoloration around the elbow and across the chest, biceps, and thighs. Best guess is that the unsub had to press down hard while making the cuts around the elbows but we can't get any identifying marks from it. And as for the bruising across the chest and thighs, they're consistent with a restraint you would see with someone who was tightly restrained on a bed. Wait, if the guy cut just below the elbow, then the forearm from the elbow to 6 inches above the wrist is missing? Either he kept the forearm pieces or they're somewhere we haven't found yet. "

I suddenly had a knot in my stomach, "I hate to be the one to ask the obvious but, where are the heads?"

There was a moment of silence as they all thought about my question.

Agent Morgan said, "It's possible he's keeping them as trophies. Although, six heads would require a lot of freezer space. But, if he's mobile, perhaps he owns or drives for a company that uses a refrigerated truck."

"I'm on it!" Garcia exclaimed as she added the new information to her first unsub search. "Oh but don't get too excited, in the state of Arizona alone, there over 500,000 cars and trucks with refrigerating capabilities. So no go that route."

"Hold on," I said as I quickly returned to my computer where I remembered something from my search. _Yes, here it is_! "Ok, so the diner that Sofia Lopez worked at in Salt Lake City, called Sweet and Salty, had one of their special delivery trucks stolen almost 8 months ago! It was reported to the police but it was never found."

"And you said you weren't good at this!" Garcia gave me a quick side hug before continuing her search.

"Nicely done McNally! Keep working that connection Garcia and see if the stolen truck could be our unsubs method of transportation." Agent Morgan exclaimed over the phone.

"I'll fill Hotch and Rossi in. If our unsub had something to do with the missing van connected to Sophia then maybe she was the original victim. We need to find a connection about the hands to the four corners or Sophia to the four corners. Let us know if you find something Garcia." Agent Jareau finished before she disconnected.

Garcia and I returned to testing and retesting our connections between the victims. But again, there wasn't much coming up at all. After a few more hours of digging, we were patched into a video chat with the team who were gathered in their makeshift headquarters at the office.

Agent Hotchner began, "Garcia, anything else come up with the search for the missing van or any connections between the victims?"

"Coming up empty sir." Garcia sadly replied.

"Ok, let's recap," Agent Prentiss began, "We've got six headless bodies and four sets of hands. The victims have apparently no connections and are seemingly random.

The only two pieces we have are that the hands were found along directly on a line that coincides with the four corners and that the unsub could have stolen a van from one of his victims work?"

"I know it doesn't seem like much but we've worked with less." Agent Hotchner tried to boost the team. He glanced at his watch, "Alright, I know it's getting late on the East Coast but let's work for a few more hours and see what we come up with before getting a few hours of sleep."

I looked down at my watch, _11:47 holy cow I didn't even realize it was this late!_

"What I don't understand," Agent Rossi said as he began to think out loud, "Is why possibly keep the heads and the forearms and keep the bodies in Arizona but spread the hands. That just doesn't seem to make any sense to me. Why would the unsub go to such lengths to put the hands like he did?"

There was a moment of silence, as the team couldn't come up with an answer.

As the team continued to work, I turned to Garcia, "Hey, you want anything from a vending machine? Or, I was going to get some more water and get some coffee?" She stopped typing for a moment and told the team we'd be right back, "Actually, I'll walk with you, we've been in here all literally all day and I could use a walk and talk." She said as she grabbed her purse and we walked down the hall.

"So is it always like this? You guys hit stand stills sometimes?"

"There's usually at least one in every case, most of them come early on when we don't have a lot yet or have way too much we don't know where to start. It's frustrating as you can see with how the team reacted when we left. Especially when they're in the field and on the front line trying to catch the person doing it, they take it pretty hard."

"I can imagine. Well, obviously you guys were called in for a reason and I'm sure y'all will figure it out." I tried to reassure her as we arrived at the min-lunch and coffee station. Thankfully someone had just put a fresh pot on and apparently, Garcia and I had the same idea as we both reached for the pot at the same time and our hands collided.

"Sorry!"

"I apologize!" We said at the same time.

"Please, after you." I said as I motioned for her to take the pot first.

"Well, good looks and good manners, you might have my angel face beat but sh! Don't tell him I said that," she whispered the last part.

"You're secret is safe with me Penelope."

I leaned against the counter and a yawn overcame me. I looked at my watch again, _11:59; well you survived your first day_! I thought as I patiently waited and watched as Garcia made her coffee. Suddenly, I had a thought, "Garcia, this might be irrelevant but has the team ruled out it being a pair?" I hesitantly asked.

"I think so, it seems like it's way to specific of a fantasy and M.O. for it to be shared. Why?" She curiously responded.

"Okay here me out and then tell me I'm completely crazy. Agent Morgan said that their was bruising on the arms around the elbow and across the chest but no other markings. If you think about it, would the unsub of had to switch hands to cut the arms off without leaving any marks on the abdomen. I mean, the saw or machete would have been too long for him to of reached across and cut from the opposite side, he would have skimmed the torso with the back end of the blade. Wouldn't he of had to switch sides and switch hands for the same cut to be made on the opposite arm?" I finished and looked up at Garcia whom you could tell was trying to piece the puzzles together in her mind. "Here let me show you what I mean." I began digging around the fridge to find something I could use to demonstrate. _Ah, perfect, peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Two birds with one stone because now that I think about it, I'm starving._ I began to pull out the ingredients and place them on the counter.

"Uh, Lindsay. I think you forgot you were about to explain something to me but if you're making one of those can you also make me one!" Garcia hesitantly said to prevent offending me if I had forgotten what I was doing.

"No, haha I didn't forget but, yes, I can make you one after. Watch."

I began buy putting two pieces of bread next to each other and drew a stick figure with the right side of a body on one slice and the left side on the other in peanut butter.

"Okay, since the majority of people in the world are right handed we'll assume he used his dominant hand first and cut the victims right arm while holding on to the left." I stated as I began to cut the part of the bread where the stick figure's right arm made out of peanut butter was and pushed it to the side. "As the M.E. reported it was a completely horizontal cut and was just like a regular sawing motion. Ok, you still with me?" I glanced over and she was extremely focused in and nodded. "Now, imagine this was much larger and on the scale of the human body," I said as I pushed the other piece of bread with the left side of the body on it, to the other edge of the counter. "I'd have to reach over the entire body, and cut with my right hand still and holding with my left."

"Why couldn't he have just walked around and cut from the other side?" Garcia questioned.

"Exactly! Because if he went around and cut with his right, he would have had to reach his left hand over the saw to hold above the elbow." Again, I began acting out my explanation and hoping that this was making sense. "It would have been very awkward and he would have had a really hard time making as much of a bruise on the arm and as clean of a cut if he was cutting like this."

"So then how did he do it?"

"Well, unless he's ambidextrous, which is possible and could help narrow down the pool. Taking in how spread out the evidence is and how the hands are presented in a couple, I think he has a partner that's left handed and is following his exact cuts on the opposite side." I switched my hand and began cutting with my left on the left piece of bread to show my point.

When I had finished my peanut butter serial killer explanation, I licked my fingers and looked up at Garcia, who had an extremely puzzled look on her face.

"What if he just moved the arm out like this," she asked as she moved her arm from next to her side, "and then cut?"

I thought about my response, "The medical examiner said there was bruising across the biceps so that means that when they were tied down, the arms were tied so that they were touching the side. And since the bruising was even across both biceps, that means they had to of been exposed to the same amount of pressure for the same amount of time.." I trailed off as another realization struck me. "They cut both arms off at the same time."

Before I had barely even finished my statement, Garcia had grabbed my hand and pulled me back towards her office. She was trying to walk as quickly as she could in her heels and turned to me and said, "We need to tell the team immediately, I think you're right."

"In order to learn the most important lessons in life, one must each day surmount a fear."- Ralph Waldo Emerson


	4. Chapter 4: The Bond

Chapter 3- The Bond

Before I had barely even finished my statement, Garcia had grabbed my hand and pulled me back towards her office. She was trying to walk as quickly as she could in her heels and turned to me and said, "We need to tell the team immediately. I think you're right!"

Right when we were within shouting distance of the video feed with the rest of the team, Garcia began shouting, "Guys, guys, guys! You need to hear this!"

"Baby girl, breathe. Is everything alright?" Agent Morgan stood and asked.

"Lindsay just had a light bulb moment about the case and I think she might be right!" She shouted as best she could. "We were in the mini-kitchen getting some coffee cause you know it's after midnight here and…" she continued speaking at a very rapid pace and you could tell the team was having trouble understanding her. So, Agent Morgan decided to stop her before she got ahead of herself. "Garcia, as much as I love you. You're kind of scaring me. Why don't you take a seat before you pass out and let McNally tell us about her brilliant revelation."

"Right, good idea. I'm never running in heels again." Garcia mumbled as she tried to catch her breath.

I stepped closer to the camera to make sure the team was able to see me on the camera. "I don't know if I'm right, I'm probably not and you guys are the experts and it's getting late…"

My thoughts were interrupted by Agent Hotchner, "McNally, Chief Strauss emailed me about your conversation earlier today and about how you've been granted probationary privileges, which is not something given out lightly and has me inclined to believe that you're quite capable. We've also seemed to of hit a roadblock so any outside eyes or thoughts could help. So please, take a breath and continue."

I tried to get a read on all their faces when he told them I was granted probationary privilege, but I couldn't really get a read on any of them. _Either these guys are really good at not giving anything away or I just haven't gotten to know them well enough to be able to recognize their tells and mannerisms yet; probably a bit of both. Anyway, I hope I can prove worthy of the probationary privilege._

"Okay, I'm not really sure how I came to this, but when Garcia and I both reached for the coffee pot, Garcia with her right hand and I with my left hand, it made me think about how interesting it was for people to use their dominant hand. I don't know, since I'm a lefty I always encounter a world built for the majority right-handed population and always notice other people's dominant hand and make friends with fellow lefties…" I began rambling when Agent Hotchner cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, nervous habit. But all day I had been thinking about how the unsub was able to make his cuts when Agent Prentiss and Agent Morgan told us that they were practically identical on both sides and that the bruising was consistent with the unsub holding the arm above the cut. It just didn't make sense. Then, it hit me that either our unsub is ambidextrous or, there's two unsubs." I paused and tried to gauge the reaction from the team across the screen. They were all lost in thought and were trying to process my proposal. Agent Rossi was the first to speak up, "Alright McNally, I'll bite. How did you take info from Prentiss and Morgan and make the connection to a pair?"

"Wait one second," I said before sprinting down the hall to the mini-kitchen, grabbed the peanut butter, bread, and knife that was still laying out on the counter still. When I returned to Garcia's office, I pulled my desk over and placed the items out so the team could see. "Right, this is how." I explained my rationale with the demonstration I had just done with Garcia a few minutes ago. Once I had finished, I looked up at the screen to see all of them deep in thought and Agent Morgan, Agent Prentiss, and Agent Jareau with their mouths partially hung open in astonishment, or perhaps hunger. _I hope they don't think I'm crazy. I was just trying to help. Shit, I should have been quiet._ I began to slowly back away and pretend I hadn't said anything in the first place.

"I'll be damned, she's right." Agent Rossi nodded in confirmation. "Why didn't I think of that before?"

"Boy genius, you should watch yourself because you might be replaced for most brilliant by McNally. Nice going girl!" Agent Morgan said jokingly with a wink.

 _Oh thank goodness. I'm glad I'm not crazy and they don't hate me._

"I'll play devil's advocate. Why lean towards a pair and not just one ambidextrous unsub?" Agent Jareau asked. "Because, one could argue that we would lean towards one unsub if the cuts are almost exact because he would know how much force and pressure he used on the other cut?"

 _Shit, what did I say to Garcia about this earlier?_

"Uh," I timidly started but thankfully, Garcia was there to jump in and rescue me, "She said that because the bruises and discoloration were identical on the cuts, then they had to be cut at the same time. If they were cut at different times then the first arm cut would have been more significantly bruised and as a result of the blood loss, the second arm wouldn't of had enough blood flow to bruise the same amount."

Again, I searched the faces of the team. Especially Agent Jareau's to see if she had been convinced of my theory. _I hope she was able to follow my logic and reasoning._

"McNally's right. There has to be two unsubs cutting in order for there to be the same bruising on both arms." Dr. Reid said. "Great work."

"Agreed, great work McNally." Agent Hotchner began as he closed the file he was holding, "Let's keep our old profile still running for our first unsub and add dominant personality traits to it. He's organized, very intelligent, and would clearly be the dominant in the pair. This is mainly his fantasy that they're playing out. Now, we've got a second profile to work, the submissive and compliant one that is somehow crucial to the dominant one's fantasy. It's just after 10PM here so, almost 1AM there. It's going to be a late one tonight but I want to get these profiles started and organized so we can come in the morning ready to hit the ground running."

"We need to establish the bond between the two unsubs. I agree that this fantasy has to be from one unsub because it's too detailed to fulfill the needs of two. When we figure out that bond, we can also figure out how to use that bond against them if needed." Agent Prentiss added.

Once Agent Prentiss finished speaking and no one else added anything, they all quickly got right to work on creating the second profile and making corrections to the original.

For the next forty-five minutes or so I observed the team work: Agent Jareau and Agent Hotchner were talking to what looked like the Chief Officer for the Phoenix PD, Agent Prentiss and Agent Morgan were changing the board around and discussing possible leads and connections, Agent Rossi and Dr. Reid were conversing about how being a pair could possibly change the geographic profile, and Garcia was typing a million miles an hour on her computer.

 _I'm still amazed at how this team works. There really is a reason they are held with such high regard. And for them to listen to my theory and accept it with an honest discussion really shows their professionalism and how they rely on each other._ I decided to pull out my notebook and make a few notes about each member as bit of a first impression list. _Penelope Garcia- extremely bubbly and exuberant, kind, honest and has a huge heart; although is the gossiper among the group. Agent Hotchner- leader, very reserved and direct, pragmatic; closed off and difficult to talk to. Agent Rossi- the extroverted version of Agent Hotchner, quick-witted, detail oriented, and diligent; sometimes abrasive. Agent Morgan- seemingly brawn and brains, charismatic, and assertive; has a change of demeanor when talking to Penelope and others outside of the team as though there's two sides to him- one for the team side and one for everyone else. Agent Prentiss- a lot like Agent Morgan, rash, independent, and witty; but she seems to be trying to prove something. Agent Jareau- where to begin with Agent Jareau… hard to get any real reads on her but she seems to be sad or hurt about something._

I hadn't realized how long I'd been writing and thinking until Garcia came over and pulled out my earphone, "Yoo-hoo, earth to Lindsay. Do you sleep with your eyes open?" She said jokingly.

"What, no. Sorry, I was just thinking?" I said and she glanced down at what was on the notebook. I hadn't noticed that when I was thinking about Agent Jareau, I had begun drawing random doodles besides her name. _Shit, I didn't even realize. I hope Penelope didn't notice._

"Ah, I see a beautiful blonde agent has captivated your attention." She teased.

"Uh, yes, she has; along with the rest of your team. I really want to spend more time with them and not just through a screen. Do you ever want to be in the field with them and not stuck here?" I asked quickly as I tried to change the subject and play it off.

"Sometimes, though it's only because I want to make sure they're safe and give them hugs. Besides that, I hate being in the field. I can't escape the real fear and danger when I'm out of my little nook. I don't like it being real and in person and not just through a computer screen." Garcia replied bleakly. _I wonder if she had a bad experience in the field or if it just went against her personality_. "But don't think asking personal questions will make me forget about JJ." She winked. "I will get to the bottom of it, and since you don't know this already I'll tell you. I'm actually the oracle of all-knowing so secrets do not exist with me."

"Duly noted Penelope. I'm sorry to crush your excitement, but there really isn't anything more to it than I got a bit lost when trying to get a read on her." I answered honestly. _I would be the first to admit that Agent Jareau was drop dead gorgeous but I wasn't lost in la-la land over that. I was genuinely lost in trying to begin to figure out who she was._

"What were you thinking?" She asked.

I took a moment to try and think back to where my mind had begun to wander. "It was when I noticed her standing off to the side at the precinct looking out a window. She had both of her arms tightly wrapped around herself with a solemn and lost look on her face. I thought she looked really sad."

"Damn, I wish you weren't good at your job so I could say that you're wrong and JJ is the happiest girl on the planet, but you're right. She's one of my best friends and she's been sad for a while. I've tried talking to her but so far, nada. That's the only secret that I've ever been unable to uncover. But whatever it is that is hurting my blue-eyed beauty is serious." Garcia's voice changed when she was talking about Agent Jareau, as if she was hurting right alongside her friend.

"With friends like you Penelope, I'm sure she'll be okay. Everyone has their demons but sometimes you have to let people face them on their own and on their own terms. You just being her friend and being there speaks worlds and she knows that. Just stay with her." I tried to reassure her as I reached over to gently squeeze her hand. "For the now," I looked at my watch, _2:53_ , "almost fourteen hours I've been with y'all, there is one thing that's for sure; you are truly an amazing person who loves each and every person on the other side of this screen, no matter what."

Garcia wiped a stray tear away, "I know, I just don't like to see any of my babies hurting."

"No one does, but it'll all be okay, you'll see." I stood and started packing my stuff away and stretching my back. "It's getting late. Are we done for the night?"

"Oh, yes! That's what I meant to tell you before I got sidetracked. Hotch says he wants us back online at 7:00AM their time. So about seven hours from now. I sleep in one of the overnight rooms a few halls over in case anything urgent comes up. I can set you up in one of those too if you'd like?" Garcia said as she began to lock everything down in her office.

"Yea that would be great. I have a question though and you're going to think I'm crazy but do you know how to get access to the gym facilities here?"

"Do you mean the 24/7 state of the art training facility? Why yes darling I do but you are crazy to go there now, you need sleep!" Garcia explained in a very motherly tone.

"Oh, it's not for now, it's for in the morning. I don't know how well I'm going to be able to sleep and I would have a clearer head for tomorrow if I can wake up and get a good workout in before getting back at it if that's okay? You're more than welcome to join me!" I offered.

"The day you see me in that gym is the day my chocolate thunder will envy you or truly love you! He's been trying to get me to go with him for years. It's just not my thing. You can definitely go and I'll just see you after in the morning." She was fumbling around inside her very large purse until she pulled out a lanyard with a single key and card. "Here it is! Sorry, I haven't ever used it so it was buried at the bottom; I'm surprised I still have it honestly. You can use my card and locker if you want. All you have to do is scan the card and there's showers and everything down there too I think!" She eagerly handed over the lanyard to me.

"Thank you Penelope. For everything, I'm glad that I got to spend my first day at the BAU with you."

Penelope gave me a quick hug and slap on the arm, "Oh stop it, I should be thanking you for keeping me company! Let me show you to the overnight rooms!"

We started walking down the extremely quiet halls, only passing by another person once on our journey. "Here we are," she said as we were outside what looked like a row of college dorm rooms. "They aren't much but they'll do for a few hours at night. If you need anything else I'm in the one next door with all the flowers on the outside! I already have your contact information from my digging, but I texted you so now you'll have mine. Seriously if you need anything, I mean anything, don't be shy. Have a good night, or I guess day or nap or whatever and I'll see you soon! Good night Lindsay." She began to turn and head to her room but before she went in, "Penelope, I forgot to ask. Is there a place near us you like to get coffee or breakfast from? I was thinking a walk with some fresh air might be good, or again, you can join me?" I laughed.

"I need all the beauty sleep I can Lindsay so maybe another time we can go! But, the Town, S & G, the Heritage, and Bureau Bagels are all delicious. However, I am a bit of a sucker for the Town and Bureau Bagels and both are within a few miles of here! The cheese Danish and banana nut muffins are both addicting. Don't get me started on breakfast food, we won't get any sleep." She joked.

"Haha! Ok I won't, for now. Thanks again and sorry for holding you up for a few more minutes! Good night Penelope. I'll see you soon." I waved and ducked into my room for the night.

 _Yep, just like an old college dorm room that's been coated in depression._ There was a small twin bed, a sink with a mirror, a dresser, and a small table. I set my bags down and plopped onto the bed. I pulled my phone out to see three texts from Garcia, a text from Chief Strauss, _that's strange_ , and about a dozen emails. I opened the one from Chief Strauss first and it was just a simple here's my number and I'll be in to check on you tomorrow. I opened the ones from Garcia next: "Hello there sweet cheeks, its Penelope! I'm so glad to of met you and I can tell that we're going to be great friends!", followed by, "Here is the rest of the team's cell numbers as well just in case you decide to make any late night phone calls to a certain blonde hair, blue-eyed, FBI agent late at night ;)", and lastly, "Oh, I sent the team your number as well so maybe she just might call you!" _Haha, Penelope sure is something, but she's cool and I really like her! I was afraid I was going to be surrounded by very strict and intimidating agents all day and she is definitely a breath of fresh air_. With that, I set my alarm, plugged my phone in, and went to bed; too exhausted to even be bothered with changing into my pajamas.

"Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many. The intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden." - Phaedrus


End file.
